by Sandi Lynn
“Time of death, ten fifteen.” I looked at the clock.
I slowly shook my head as I removed my gloves and went to see if Grace needed help.
Grace
“We have to stop this bleeding. Call the OR and tell them we’re on our way.”
“We lost his wife,” Jamieson spoke as he stepped into the room.
“His pressure is bottoming out, Dr. Harper,” Jackie spoke. “We’re losing him.”
“Start chest compressions,” I spoke. “Push one of epi and charge the paddles to 200.”
Jackie handed me the paddles while another nurse started compressions.
“Clear.” I shocked him. “Push another round of epi and charge to 300. Clear!”
Nothing.
“Charge to 300 again. Clear!” I shocked him again. “Come on.”
“Please don’t let my daddy die,” I heard a soft voice from the doorway.
Holding the paddles in my hand, I looked over and saw a little girl who was about ten years old standing there with tears in her eyes.
“Please save him,” she softly spoke. “Please.”
I froze as I stared into her eyes and swallowed hard. I felt paralyzed as my mind took me back to when I was ten years old.
“Dr. Harper?” Jackie spoke. “Dr. Harper!” she shouted.
I snapped back into reality and looked at Jackie.
“Get her out of here and push another round of epi,” I spoke.
I started chest compressions and carefully watched the monitor.
“Again,” I shouted.
“Grace, it’s been twenty minutes,” Jamieson spoke as he walked over to me.
“Another!” I shouted to the nurse as I continued chest compressions.
I stared at the monitor waiting for that rhythm to appear.
“Grace,” Jamieson spoke as he lightly placed his hand on my arm. “He’s gone.”
I turned as my teary eyes stared into his.
“Push 3 mgs of Atropine, Jackie!”
“Dr. Harper,” she spoke with a concerned look on her face.
“NOW!” I shouted as I continued chest compressions.
Staring at the monitor, he was still flatlined. All I kept seeing in my mind was that little girl who had already lost her mother.
“You are not going to die and leave your little girl alone!” I shouted as I took my fist and punched his heart as hard as I could.
Suddenly, the soft beeps of the machine changed their tone.
“We got a rhythm,” Jackie spoke.
I let out a deep breath.
“Let’s get him to the OR now.”
Jamieson
I stood there as they wheeled the patient out of the room. Grace was determined to bring him back and she did. I couldn’t believe what I witnessed with her. The only problem with the whole situation was his neurological outcome. When she looked at that little girl, all I saw was fear in her eyes. She wanted to save him for her, but at what cost? What good would it do that little girl if her father was in a coma for the rest of his life?
Chapter 20
Grace
“Take him to the CCU and start the hypothermia protocol,” I spoke before leaving the operating room.
I let out a deep long breath, took off my scrub cap and my gown, and scrubbed out. When I was finished, I went up to Renata’s office.
“You paged me?” I asked.
“I did. I wanted to let you know that the little girl’s grandparents are on their way to the hospital. They’ll be here in about four hours. Meanwhile, a social worker is with her now.”
“Good.” I slowly nodded my head.
“Grace, what you did for that man was wonderful, but you do realize that he may never fully recover?”
“He’ll recover, Renata. He has to. He has a daughter he needs to take care of.”
“Do you think that maybe you got a little too personal in that room?”
“What?” I cocked my head. “I’m a doctor and my job is to save lives.”
“I know that. All I’m saying is that little girl could still possibly lose her father. I don’t want to give her false hope. It could be more damaging. That man may never wake up.”
My pager went off and when I checked it, Jamieson had paged me, asking me to come to the CT room.
“I have to go. I’m needed in the CT room.”
“Grace?”
“Yeah.” I turned around before walking out the door.
“I’m here if you need to talk.”
“Thanks, Renata. Also, you can tell my Aunt Cora that I’m fine.” I lightly smiled.
I walked to the CT room, and when I arrived, Jamieson was sitting in the chair staring at the monitors.
“You paged me?”
“How’s your patient?” he asked.
“He’s stable. We’ll have to wait and see when he wakes up.”
“If he wakes up,” Jamieson spoke. “What happened in that room?”
“What do you mean?”
“Something happened to you in there.”
“Nothing happened to me. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“So you’re sticking to that story, eh?” His eye narrowed at me.
“Yeah. That’s my story. Now why did you page me?”
“No reason. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to tell a patient that she’s dying of brain cancer.” He got up from his chair and walked out.
Rolling my eyes, I went to check on my patient and found his little girl with the social worker sitting by her father’s side.”
“Hi there,” I spoke as I walked into the room. “Can you give us a moment?” I asked the social worker.
“Sure. I’ll just be outside.”
“What’s your name?” I asked her with a smile.
“Sydney.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Sydney. I’m Dr. Harper, but you can call me Grace. I heard your grandparents are on their way.”
“Yeah.” She looked down. “Is my dad going to be okay?”
I took in a deep breath.
“I hope so. Right now, he’s stable and we’re keeping a very close eye on him.”
“Is he going to have brain damage? I overheard one of the nurses talking.”
“There is a possibility. We’ll have to see when he wakes up.”
“When will he wake up?”
“I don’t know, sweetie.”
She began to cry as she laid her head on her father’s arm. I gently placed my hand on her back and slowly began to rub it.
“I know this is hard. When I was about your age, I lost both my parents in a car accident.”
She lifted her head and looked at me with her teary eyes.
“You did?”
“Yeah. I did.”
“I don’t want my dad to die.”
“I know, and we’re doing everything we can to help him. I want you to do me a favor. Talk to your dad.”
“Can he hear me?”
“Some will tell you he can’t, but I know he can.” I lightly smiled.
My pager went off and when I checked it, I was needed down in the ER.
“I have to go. I’ll come back later to check up on you.”
“Thank you, Grace. Thank you for not giving up on my dad.”
“You’re welcome, Sydney.”
I went down to the ER and Jackie told me there was a trauma coming in about two minutes. When I walked outside to wait for the ambulance, Dr. Rebecca Lasher was standing there.
“Aren’t you supposed to be up in neuro?” I asked.
“I’m on your service now.”
“Why?”
“Neuro wasn’t for me. I’m sorry about yesterday. I swear it won’t happen again.”
“It better not.”
The ambulance pulled up and the paramedic opened the door.
“Twenty-nine-year-old female involved in an MVA. Thirty-seven weeks pregnant with abdominal bruising and pain.”
“Hi, I’m Dr. Harper. Can you tell
me your name?” I asked as we wheeled her into trauma room five.
“Cassie. My baby. Is my baby okay?”
“We’re going to find out. I just need you to stay calm. Ultrasound,” I spoke to Dr. Lasher.
She handed me the transducer and I placed it on Cassie’s belly.
“Dr. Harper, she’s bleeding,” Dr. Lasher spoke as she lifted the sheet from her.
“Baby’s BP is dropping,” Jackie spoke.
“Damn it. The umbilical cord is prolapsed. We need to get this baby out now. Page OB and have them meet us in the OR. Tell them we’re on our way.”
After my surgery, I went to the cafeteria and grabbed a salad for lunch. Instead of eating it there, I took it up to the rooftop and sat down at a small round table.
“May I join you?” Jamieson asked as he stood there with his tray.
“I guess.” I glared at him. “What the hell happened between you and Rebecca? Yesterday, you were getting in her pants and today she’s on my service.” I arched my brow.
“You can have her. Anyway, I want everything cleared up with us before we leave for Vegas in a couple of days.”
“Everything is cleared up, Jamieson. We’re colleagues. Nothing more, and that’s the way it’s going to stay. We’re friends. Not friends with benefits. Just friends. There won’t be any more sex. I never should have broken my rule. From now on, I’m sticking with BOB.”
“Bob?” His brow raised.
“My boyfriend on batteries.”
The corners of his mouth curved up into a sly smile.
“That’s really hot. You just made my cock twitch.”
I took the fork that I was holding and lightly stabbed his hand, which was resting on the table.
“Ouch. What was that for?”
“That was for being a pig.”
My pager went off and CCU paged me 911.
“It’s Mr. McAllister 911.”
I quickly got up from the table and pushed the button to the elevator. Jamieson followed me inside. As soon as the doors opened, I ran down the hall and into the room, where I found Mr. McAllister awake.
“Welcome back, Mr. McAllister.” I smiled as I walked over to him and checked his vitals. “Do you know where you are?”
“Hospital,” he sleepily spoke.
“Do you remember what happened?”
“Car accident. Where’s my wife and daughter?”
I swallowed hard and glanced over at Jamieson.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. McAllister, we did everything we could for your wife. Her injuries were just too bad.”
Tears filled Mr. McAllister’s eyes as he started to shake.
“My daughter?”
“She’s fine. I’ll go get her.” I placed my hand on his.
After bringing Sydney to her father, Jamieson and I walked out of the room.
“Thanks for telling him about his wife.”
“She was my patient,” he spoke.
“He woke up.” I smiled. “And he’s talking.”
“Yeah, he did.” Jamieson placed his hand on my shoulder before walking away.
Chapter 21
Jamieson
Grace still hadn’t given me her phone number and we were leaving tomorrow morning for Vegas. I pulled out my pager, paged her with my number and a 911. Within seconds, my phone rang, and I had her number.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning, outside your building at nine a.m. Be ready.”
“Jamieson?”
“Yes? Who else would be picking you up?”
“Clever,” she spoke.
“Of course I am. See you in the morning.”
I ended the call and met Logan at the bar for dinner and a couple of drinks.
The next morning, my alarm went off, and when I opened my eyes, I looked down at the arm that was wrapped around me. Shit. I thought she left last night. I shut the alarm off and climbed out of bed.
“Time to get up.” I picked up her clothes off the floor and threw them on the bed.
“Oh God. No. Just a little while longer,” she moaned.
“No can do, sweetheart. I need to get ready to leave for the airport and I need you out of here.”
“Call me when you get back?” she asked.
“Sure.”
I wasn’t calling her. Hell, I didn’t even remember her name. She was just a girl I met at the bar. Just another foolish mistake on my part. If I remembered correctly, she wasn’t even that good. Not like....
“I’m getting in the shower. You can let yourself out.”
“No goodbye kiss?” She pouted.
“I don’t do goodbye kisses. Have a good day.”
When I stepped out of the shower, I looked around to make sure bar girl was gone. Sitting on my nightstand was a small white piece of paper with her phone number on it. I picked it up, crumbled it in my hand, and threw it in the trash. Grabbing my bag from the chair that sat in the corner next to my window, I headed out the door to pick up Grace.
When I pulled up to her building, she was standing by the curb holding the handle of her large suitcase. I climbed out of the car and took it from her.
“For God sakes, we’ll only be gone for three days. What the hell did you pack?”
“I need options. Not to mention my makeup, hair products, and styling tools.” She smiled.
I shook my head as I threw her suitcase in the trunk. It barely fit.
“You’re lucky I didn’t bring a suitcase. Yours barely fits,” I spoke.
“Then maybe you need a bigger car.” A smirk crossed her face.
I sighed as I put the car in drive and headed to the airport.
“Rough night?” she asked.
“Why do you say that?” I asked as I glanced over at her.
“Because you look a little tired. Were you at the hospital?”
“No. Logan and I went to the bar for a couple of drinks. I got home pretty late.”
“I hope she was worth it,” she spoke.
“What?”
“I hope the girl you brought home was worth the late night.”
I didn’t say a word as I kept driving down the highway. I didn’t need to. My silence said it all.
We boarded the plane and took our seats in business class.
“May I get you anything to drink?” the flight attendant asked.
“I’ll have a scotch on the rocks,” I spoke.
“I’m sorry, but we’re out of scotch today.”
I sighed. “Fine, just get me a gin and tonic.”
“And for you?” She smiled at Grace.
“I’ll just have some coffee. Drinking already?” Her brow raised.
“It helps to relax me. I’m not a huge fan of flying.”
“I never understood why people feel that way. Cars are way more dangerous,” she spoke as she stared out the window.
She started to rattle off statistics from an article that was published back in the early nineties. I stared at her as if she was reading it at that moment.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing. I forgot you had a photographic memory.”
The flight went by quickly, and when we landed in Vegas, I turned on my phone to find a text message from Renata.
“Dr. Finn, remember what we discussed about Dr. Harper. I expect you to be on your best behavior where she’s concerned.”
I rolled my eyes and shoved my phone in my pocket. As we were walking out of the airport, we saw a man dressed in a black suit holding up a sign with Grace’s name on it.
“What the—”
“I’m Dr. Grace Harper,” she spoke as we approached the gentleman.
“Mr. Conway has sent a car for you to take you to the Venetian Hotel.”
“Awesome.” She smiled as she looked at me.
“You know Robert Conway?” I asked her as we climbed into the limo.
“I do. He’s a family friend. I’ve known him since I was a child. He was friends of my parents and my Aunt Cora.”
“
Seriously? May I ask what your parents did for a living?”
“My parents were both epidemiologists.”
“Really? Then I’m sure growing up with two parents in the medical field, a doctor was something you always wanted to be.”
“No.” She laughed. “First, I wanted to be a lawyer. Up until I was ten years old, I’d spend my time reading law books. I’d studied cases and at dinner, I’d tell my parents about what I learned. Then after my parents died, all that changed.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because a trauma surgeon was what I was meant to be.”
The limo pulled up to the curb of the Venetian Hotel. We climbed out of the car, walked inside, and up to the front desk.
“How may I help you?” a nice gentleman asked with a bright smile.
“We’re here for the medical conference,” I spoke. “The name is Dr. Jamieson Finn and Dr. Grace Harper. There should be two rooms.”
“Ah yes. Welcome to the Venetian. Dr. Finn, your room number is 2817, and Dr. Harper, you will be in our Prima luxury suite on the thirtieth floor, room 3025.”
He handed us our keycards and we walked over to the elevator.
“Seriously?” I arched my brow at her. “The prima suite?”
“One of the perks of knowing the director.” She grinned.
“I know the director,” I spoke.
“You’re not special.” A smirk crossed her face.
“You’re funny.” I cocked my head.
The elevator door opened on the twenty-eighth floor.
“This is my floor. How about grabbing some lunch after we get settled? Let’s say about thirty minutes?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll come pick you up. I want to see this fancy suite you’re in.” I smirked just before the elevator doors shut.
Chapter 22
Grace
I stepped into my suite and looked around at the beauty and elegance of it all. The marble floors were to die for as well as the impeccable décor that graced the rooms. The master bedroom had an enormous king-size bed with a private bath and a sunken jetted tub, a fully stocked wet bar, separate living area, and the best view of the Strip. I smiled as I took it all in. Taking my phone from my purse, I Facetimed my Aunt Cora.
